21 October 2018 – Meysan Partners Senior Partner, Bader Abdul Mohsen El-Jeaan, won ‘Managing Partner of the Year’ at the IFLR Middle East Law Awards on October 17.
The award is given to the managing partner of a law firm that stands out as having made a significant impact on the legal landscape in the region through their innovative approach, sufficient to distinguish them from their peers. In making its decision, IFLR considers innovative deals that the partner has led on or overseen and focuses on initiatives that develop and influence the practice of law in the region. Despite competition from managing partners of many larger international law firms, this was the first time that the award is granted to a managing partner of a Kuwaiti law firm.
In making its award, IFLR praised the achievements made by Meysan, stating, “The firm was The Rising Star Law Firm of the Year in 2015 and has since entrenched itself at the top of the Kuwaiti market. New law firms seldom make this sort of splash in any of the Middle East markets, and Meysan stands as an example that it can be done.”
IFLR also noted Meysan’s leading role in advising Zain on its transaction with Omantel, stating, “The firm, led by El-Jeaan, acted as sole and lead counsel to Zain in its M&A deal with Omantel. This complicated and innovative transaction was likely Kuwait’s most significant M&A deal of the year, and Meysan took the lead role negotiating opposite global firm Freshfields.”
For his part, El-Jeaan stated, “It is a privilege to be recognized by my peers with this award. Awards like these are an important way of encouraging everyone in the profession to strive to achieve the best for our clients. It is also an important way to encourage the development of the legal landscape here in Kuwait. I’m very proud of what our firm has achieved this year.”
"I’d also like to acknowledge the contribution of my partner, Abdulaziz Al Yaqout, with whom I co-founded the firm four years ago,” said Bader El-Jeaan.
The award follows Meysan’s win of the ‘Kuwait Law Firm of the Year’ at the 2017 The Oath Middle East Legal Awards.